Cooler for alfalfa meal and the like



Feb. 24, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 29, 1950 NJN.

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COOLER FOR ALFALFA MEAL AND THE LIKE Filed April 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 "H l. A.

W *Nja/T Feb. 24, 1953 w. F. HARDl-:R 2,629,310

COOLER FOR ALFALFA MEAL AND THE LIKE Filed April 29, 195o 4 sheets-sheet 4 PIE. 7l

.Mr/legs Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COOLER FOR ALFALFA MEAL AND THE LIKE William F. Harder, Lincoln, JNelzr.

Application April 29, 1950, Serial No. 159,097

` (o1. ssa-235) p 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cooling apparatus and particularly to such' an apparatus adapted for cooling the material, such as dehydrated alfalfa meal.

Dehydrated alfalfa meal is recognized as being an important source of vitamin A or carotene, and in practice it has been found that where fthe alfalfa meal is not promptly cooled after the dehydrating operation there is a material loss of carotene content. The value and price 4of dehydrated alfalfa meal is based in a large measure upon its carotene content so that the retention of the initial carotene content as nearly as possible is highly importa-nt.

In View of the foregoing, it is an important object of the present invention to enable material such as dehydrated alfalfa meal to be eiectually cooled, and an object related to the foregoing is to afford such a cooling apparatus in which the cooling operation is carried on at the maximum rate so as to avoid the necessity for utilizing a cooler of an unduly large capacity or s1ze.

The problem of cooling material such as dehydrated alfalfa meal has been found to be quite difficult because of the light and fluffy texture of the materia-1, which makes it quite difficult to obtain a good contact between the meal and the cooling surfaces, and in addition, it is recognized that such meal has excellent insulating proporties, so that in order to attain cooling of the meal at an economical rate the meal must come into direct contact with the cooling surfaces. Another dii-culty involved in cooling such material is the tendency of the meal to stick to the surfaces of the cooler, this :being due primarily to the introduction of moisture into the cooler by air that may enter the cooler, and-such, moisture has atendency to condense within the cooler so that it combines with the water soluble residues that are present in the meal. This forms a syrup which acts as a bonding agent and causes the meal to build up on the surfaces of the cooler.

In view of the foregoing difiicultiesj it is a further object of the present invention to enable alfalfa meal and the like to be cooled in such a Way that effectual contact between the meal and the cooling surfaces is insured, and to accomplish this in such a way that the entrance of Warm air into the cooler is minimized so as to reduce the tendency toward sticking of the meal within the cooler.

Other and further objects are to afford a cooling apparatus for alfalfa meal and the like which provides for maximum mixing and turnover of the meal within the cooler so as to there by assure frequent contact of the small particles of the meal with the cooling surfaces of the cooler, and to afford such a cooler in which a large number of meal engaging cooling surfaces are arranged in an extremely efficient heat transfer relationship with respect to a source of cooling liquid.

When a cooler of the aforesaid character is commercially utilized, the intake end of the coolw er is normally arranged so that the output of the drying mechanism is fed directlyJ into the intake of the cooling mechanism, and where this arrangement is employed, experience has shown that a relatively large number of fires may be expected in the nal output of the system because of the enclosure of sparks within balls or relatively large bodies of the meal. Such enclosed sparks have in the past been so well enclosed and protected in many instances that even the passage of the meal through a cooler was insuiiicient to extinguish the sparks, and itis therefore another important object of the present invention to afford a cooler in which the lumps of meal which might enclose sparks are in every `instance .broken up in the course of passage of the meal through the cooler. A related object is to alford such a cooler in which the initial feeding of thev warm meal into the cooler is accomplished by means which serve to crush and break up the lumps that might enclose live sparks, and a further object is to accomplish this result by means .which act to reduce and minimize the entry of warm air into the cooler, thereby to reduce the objectionable condensation within the cooler.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by Way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what l now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is aside elevational'view of a Wallmounted cooler embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the right-hand end of the cooler as viewed from the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially alongthe line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view taken partially in section and illustrating the structure of the rotating cooling means of the mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating another form in which the rotating coolingY means may be embodied; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 8--8 of Fig. '7.

For purposes of disclosure, the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a cooler 25 adapted for rapidly and effectually cooling material such as alfalfa meal. The cooler may be mounted in any conventional way, but, as herein shown, the cooler is adapted or arranged for wall mounting on a wall W by means of spaced wall brackets 2 I, as will be described hereinafter. The cooler 20 comprises at least one elongated, jacketed cooling cylinder into which the hot meal or the like is introduced at one end through means that break up any lumps of meal While at the same time limiting entrance of warm and humid air into the cylinder, and the meal is advanced through the jacketed cooling cylinder toward an outlet by a rotating cooling reel structure which has a stirring and advancing action on the meal which assures contact of the meal with cooling surfaces of the reel so as to effect proper and thorough cooling of the meal in the course of its passage to the outlet.

In the interests of space economy, the cooler 23 is constructed so that the meal is passed back and forth through successive relatively short cooling cylinders, the number of such cylinders being determined by the output to be handled, and in the present instance, the cooler 20 is illustrated as embodying parallel upper and lower cylinders 22 and 23. At their left-hand ends as shown in Fig. 1, the upper and lower cylinders 22 and 23 are connected together by a plate 24 which extends across the ends of the cylinders, while adjacent their right-hand ends the cylinders are connected together by the walls of a vertical duct 25 which affords a transfer passage through which meal may pass downwardly from within the cylinder 22 into the right-hand end of the cylinder 23.Y So far as the cylinder 22 is concerned, the passage 25 may, of course, be said to constitute an outlet. The two cylinders 22 and 23 thus constitute a rigid unit which is secured on the wall brackets .2l by U-bolts 26 which embrace the respective cylinders 22 and 23 and are connected to the brackets 2|.

The meal or the like that is to be cooled is fed into the upper left-hand end of the upper cylinder 22 by a feed unit 21 that constitutes the inlet of the cooler, and such meal is advanced to the right through the cylinder 22 and to the duct 25 by a rotating advancing reel 32 mounted within the cylinder 22, and when such meal drops through the duct 25 into the lower cylinder 23, it is fed to the left therein by a similar rotatable reel 33 so as to be discharged downwardly from the cylinder 23 through a `downwardly opening discharge duct 35.

vThe two cylinders 22 and 23 have a similar water jacket construction, and as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 7 and 8 in respect to the cylinder 22, inner Y and outer spaced walls 22A and 22B are provided that are welded together to afford a jacket space 22C. Moreover, the reels 32 and 33 are also arranged to have a cooling liquid such as water passed therethrough as will be described hereinafter. Thus, each end of each reel 32 and 33 has a central supporting stub shaft, as |32, projecting therefrom and'rotatable fluid coupling structures 41A, MB, IC and #HD are respectively associated therewith for transmission of cooling liquid ,to the internal structures of the reels, as will be described in some detail hereinafter.

The coupling structures 41A and 4ID are associated respectively with the left-hand ends of the reels 33 and 32, While the coupling structures IIB and 4IC are associated with the right-handV ends of the respective reels 33 and 32. A transfer pipe 42 connects the non-rotating members of the coupling structures 4IB and 4IC so that Water may iiow as indicated by the arrow from the reel 33 to the reel 32. The non-rotating parts of the couplings 4IA and 4IC are connected by a plugged pipe 43 which merely serves to hold the elements against rotation. Y

A cooling liquid such as water is supplied to the coupling 4IA from a valved supply pipe 44 through means including a flexible connector section 45, and after passing through the reel 33, the cross connection 42 and the reel 32, such liquid passes from the coupling 4I D and a flexible connector 46 to'a discharge pipe 41. To supply cooling liquid to the water jackets of the cylinders, a branch pipe 48 extends from a point between the valve 44V and the coupling 45 to the water jacket of the cylinder 23 near the left-hand end thereof, and after passage through such water jacket, this liquid passes to the water jacket of the cylinder 22 through a cross connecting pipe 49 near the right-hand end of the cylinders. Such water is discharged from the Water jacket of the cylinder 22 y near the left-hand end thereof through a discharge pipe 50. A drain faucet 5I is preferably associated with the branch 48, as shown in Fig. 1.

The moving parts of the cooler 23 are driven from a reduction geared motor 53 having an output sprocket EI connected by a chain 62 to sprockets 63 and 64 fixed on the right-hand ends of the shafts 532 of the reels 32 and 33, and while the direction and speed of rotation of the reels may be varied, I prefer to rotate these reelsV in the same direction, as indicated in Fig. 2, and at a speed of approximately 10i) R. P. M. The meal feed unit 27 is driven from the saine power source, as will now be described.

As shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the meal feedunit 27 has a hopper 21H with la pair of cylindrical feed rolls 21R mounted on horizontal axes therein, and these rolls 21R are spaced apart in adistance of about 13-6, and by meshed gearsl 2'IG fixed on their respective shafts, Vthe rolls 27B, are operated in unison so as to have `adownward feeding action between the bight of the rolls. A chain and sprocket connection 21C from the shaft of the reel 32A to the shaft of one of the rolls2l`IR serves to drive the rolls, and preferably the ro'- tative speed of the rolls 21R is somewhat less than that of the reels. The feed unit that is thus provided serves not only to minimize entry of moisture laden warm air into the cooler, but also to break up lumps, as L, of meal, thereby to disclose any smoldering fires Vor sparks that might otherwise pass unnoticed. When thus exposed, such sparks are electually' cooled and extinguished by the action of the cooling elements of the cooler..

In-lligs. l, 3, 4, .5 and 6 of the drawings, one i form ofv reel structure is illustrated, while fin Figs.l 7 and 8 another form of reel structure is shown, and in both such forms of reel structure embodying the invention, means are aiorded whereby effectual stirring and moving or advancing ci the meal are eiiected by meal engaging elements which act with an unusually efficient heat transfer action. Thus, in the form of reel shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 6, the end portions 32 oi the central shaft of the reel are formed from short lengths of solid shafting, and these end portions are tted into oppositeends of a tube or pipe B5 and are `fixed thereto in aligned relation by pins 66. The outer end of each portion 32 is centrally bored as at 6l and each such bore terminates at and in communication with a plurality of radial bores 68, and in these radial bores 68, outwardly projecting support tubes Et are fixed. At the ends of these support tubes 63, hollow coolant ducts 'FB are secured so as to extend parallel to the axis of the reel. Four ducts 'lll are provided in the present instance on. each reel, and each `such duct ld communicates at its opposite ends with the interior of the support tubes 69 on which it is mounted, and intermediate its ends, each duct 18 is supported from the central pipe 55 by supplemental struts or arms 69A.

`In the form shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings, the ducts lil are formed by processes of welding from sheet metal. Thus, each duct 'l0 is `formed from a single sheet of sheet metal bent to provide angularly related outer side walls A and EDB that are disposed at a relatively small angle to each other, and one edge of the wall 75B is bent to form a relatively short side wall TUC that abuts against the adjacent inner face of the wall 19A. Along this line of abutment, the edge of the wall 39C is welded as at 111W to the adjacent face of the side wall lA. This affords a duct l0 of. a generally triangular cross section, and the ends of the duct are closed by end plates 'IUE that are welded in position.

The ducts 'ill are arranged so that the outer faces of the walls A are spaced a substantial distance from the inner surface of the cylinder wall 22A, and within the space that is thus afforded, means are mounted upon the ducts 'In for stirring the meal and imparting gradual advancing movements to such meal along the cylinder 22. Thus, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a plurality of individual stirring and ladvancing blades 'l5 .are secured to the outer face of the wall lilAof each duct lll, and these blades 15 are secured to the wall 73A by welding, as indicated at 15W in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The reel structure illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 is primarily intended to rotate in the'direction indicated by the arrow in 7Eig. 5, and the angle of the blades 'i5 is chosen so that when the reel is rotated in such direction, the meal within the cylinder will be advanced in desired longitudinal direction and at the desired rate. The outer edges of the blades 'l5 are formed with an arcuate edge '15A as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and this arcuate edge is centered upon the axis of the central supporting shaft so that these edges 15A will substantially engage the internal surfaces of the cylinder, thus to engage and move the meal longitudinally of the cylinder.

In 4the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, the reel structure is identiied as a reel structure 232. In this form of the invention, the end members 132 are formed as castingsl that have an 'outwardly extending bearing structure and an inwardly extending con# necting arm 232A. This inwardly extending connecting structure is extended into the end oi a central supporting pipe 265, and is secured therein byV means of a screw '266. The end structure |32 also is formed with a plurality of radially extending arms 253 that have radial passages 253? formed therein which connect with a central passage 261 formed in the element |32. In the present instance, two arms 269 are provided, and at their outer ends, these arms are arranged to support longitudinally extending ducts 21B that in the present instance are in the form of cylindrical pipes that extend parallel to the axis 0f the structure and in spaced relation to the side walls 22A oi' the cylinder. At intermediate points, the ducts 2li) are supported by cross arm structures 269A that are clamped on the central pipe 265 as indicated at 263C. The ducts 'lll serve in this instance to support mixing and advancing blade structures which are shown in detail in Figs. 'l and 8. Thus, each duct 219 has a plurality of individual mounting sleeves 23B disposed thereon between the arms 259 and the arms 269A, and each such supporting sleeve is arranged to mount a mixing and advancing blade 275, Each such blade 215 has a relatively long forward edge 215E and the blade 215 is bent to an arcuate form centered on an axis that is parallel to the edge 215B. Along the line that is parallel to the edge 215E, the blade 215 is secured as by welding or soldering tothe sleeve 289, and a bracing plate 28! is extended between the sleeve 23@ and the body of the blade 275 and is soldered or welded to these two elements so that the blade 2 is rigidly supported with respectv to the sleeve 235i. On the other or controlling side of the sleeve 255i, the blade 275 is slit at 232 to form a plurality of tongues that are each bent to an angular relationship which resembles the form of a plow share, thus to afford advancing elements 233 at the rear edges of the blades 2li for imparting advancing movements to the meal longitudinally of the cylinder. The sleeves 28!) are secured on the ducts 2l@ in such a position that the edge 215E of each blade 215 engages the inner surface of the wall 22A and hence, upon rotation of the reel structure 232, the meal is stirred and is ad* vanced in a direction longitudinal with respect to the cylinder,

The reel structures that are thus afforded in accordance with the present invention are of such a character that the elements or blades that engage the meal are eiectually cooled by direct connection with the ducts-through which cooling liquid is fed through the rotating reel structure, and hence, there is a highly eflicient heat transfer action that in the present structure is repeated many times due to the thorough stirring of the meal by such blades as the meal is advanced through the cylinder.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present invention enables material such as dehydrated alfalfa meal to be eiiecn tually cooled, and that under this invention a cooling apparatus is afforded in which the cooling operation is carried on at the maximum rate so as to avoid the necessity for utilizing a cooler of an unduly large capacity or size.

It will also be apparent that the present invention enables alfalfa meal and the like to be cooled in such a way that effectual contact between the meal and the cooling surfaces is insured, that this is accomplished in such a way that the entrance of warm air into the cooler is minimized so as to reduce tendency toward sticking of the meal within the cooler.

It will also be apparent that the present invention provides a cooling apparatus for alfalfa meal and the like which provides for maximum mixing and turn-over of the meal Within the cooler so as to thereby assure frequent contact of the small particles of the meal with the cooling surfaces of the cooler, and that this invention aifor-ds such a cooler in which a large number of meal engaging cooling surfaces are arranged in an extremely eiiicient heat transfer relationship with respect to a source of cooling liquid.

It willY also be evident that under the present invention a cooler is afforded in which the lumps of meal which might enclose sparks are in every instance broken up in the course of passage of the meal through the cooler, and it will be observed specically in the cooler of this invention that the initial feeding of the warm meal into the cooler is accomplished by means which serve to crush and break up the lumps that might enclose live sparks, and that the means which accomplish this result also act to reduce and miniinize the entry of warm air into the cooler, thereby toV reduce the objectionable condensation within the cooler.

. Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the followingV claims.

I' claim:

1. In a cooler for alfalfa meal and the like, a rst elongated water-jacketed cylinder having a feed inlet on its upper side at one end and having a feed outlet on. its lower side at the other end, a second elongated water-jacketed cylinder connec'ted to the first cylinder through said feed outlet, a supply hopper disposed over said inlet and having a pair of parallel feed rolls ydisposed in spaced apart relation therein for crushing lumps of meal and the like and feeding the same into said rst cylinder, a cooling and advancing reel disposed within each of said cylinders for rotation about the axes of said cylinders and comprising a central shaft structure having liquid passages extended axially for a limited distance into each end, hollow support tubes on each of said shaft structures and extended radially from the inner ends of said passages at each end of the respective shafts, rigid ducts extended parallel to each of said shafts and supported on said hollow sup'- port tubes parallel toxbut spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the associated cylinder, stirring and advancing blades mounted on said ducts and extended into relatively close relation to said inner surface of each of said cylinders, means for supplying cooling liquid to the passages ofsaid reels and to the said water jackets of said cylinders, means for rotating said reels and for imparting advancing movement to the material in opposite directions longitudinally in the respective cylinders whereby the materialV is advanced toward and away from said feed outlet, and means for imparting feeding rotation to said feed rolls, in timed relation to the reels.

2. In a cooler for alfalfa meal and the like, a first elongated water-jacketed cylinder having a feed inlet on its upper side at one end and having a feed outlet on its lower side at the other end, a second elongated water-jacketed cylinder connected to the rst cylinder through said feed outlet, a supply hopper disposed over said inlet and having therein a pair of parallel feed rollers disposed in spaced relation to one another for crushing lumps of meal and the like and feeding the same into the said rst cylinder, a cooling and advancing reel -disposed within each of said cylinders for rotation about the axes of saidcylinders and comprising a central shaft structure having liquid passages extended axially Vfor a limited distance into each end, hollow support tubes extended radially from the inner ends of said passages at each end of each of said shafts, rigid tubular pipe ducts extended parallel to each of said shafts and supported on said hollow support tubes parallel to but spaced' inwardly from the inner surface of the associated cylinder, stirring and advancing blade structures mounted on said ducts and each comprising a sleeve surrounding one of said pipe ducts, a plate fixed on each of said sleeves and having a leading edge arranged to engage the inner surface of the associated cylinder and having the other edge thereof out to afford tongues bent to a plow-share form for imparting longitudinal movement to the meal or the like engaged by such blade, means for'sup plying cooling liquid to the passages of said reels and to the water-jackets, and means for rotating said feed rollers.

WLLIAM F. HARDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Westmoreland Oct. 3, 1950 

